1.) Get your blood tested! A simple yearly general blood test can point out any problems you may have. Fixing those problems can help you prevent hair loss. In my case, it was a mild case of anemia. I took iron pills, which helped my body get to where it needed to be. While anemia and hair loss are primarily a problem for women, other problems, such as thyroid problems, occur in both men and women, causing hair loss in both. Addressing the root cause of your hair loss, as you can find out through a blood test, can prevent hair loss and hopefully return you to your normal (full) head of hair. A $5 bottle of iron pills really helped me, so before you spend money on harsh chemicals, make sure you find the root (haha) of your hair loss problem.
The cost? Iron pills: $5 – blood work: depends on your health care provider. Sure, see a doctor, see a doctor, see a doctor, but realistically I know not everyone has health insurance or can afford blood tests. Trial and error isn’t the best method of curing hair loss, but if you already know you have anemia problems, it won’t hurt you (or your bank account!) to try some iron pills.
2.) Treat your hair right! I was constantly pulling my hair back and every time I took it out of my ponytail more hair fell out. You’re probably thinking, “yeah, sure, ponytails cause hair loss,” but it’s true: I could see the dozens (and dozens) of hairs being ripped out every time I took my ponytail out. And yes, I used the “ouchless” bands without metal parts. Many people who use braids, weaves, or hair extensions lose hair. And sometimes these styling options permanently kill the root of the hair. I stopped wearing tight ponytails and noticed less hair falling out or breaking when I brushed my hair normally. Scientific or not, I was convinced by my own “scientific” experiment that wearing ponytails was causing hair loss. The same goes for guys who wear ponytails, hats, or bandanas. Any type of traction, pressure or push can cause hair loss and breakage.
The cost? FREE!
3.) Get a fine haircut! Sounds weird, right? Your hair is getting thinner so get a thinner haircut. What kind of advice is that? Well, for me it really helped me in two ways. First, it kept me from pulling my hair back. Before I got a haircut, my hair was thinning in the front and thick in the back and was down to the middle of my back. It was literally heavy, always heating me up or getting in my way and I just wanted to put it in a ponytail. Which (see #2) made my hair loss even worse. Second, the long hair length was pulling down on my already brittle hair (due to anemia, see #1). So when I finally started taking iron, I vowed to stop wearing ponytails! But my hair was too heavy and unmanageable. Despite thinning out the front, the back and sides of my hair were still thick! The groomer used a razor blade to thin my hair from the crown of my head down to the “inside” of my hair. Go to the salon and ask the stylist to cut your hair with a razor blade instead of scissors, keep it long, but thin it out. When the haircut was done, I had about a shoebox or more full of hair, but my hair kept its length and style. I felt like 10 pounds had been lifted off my head! It also made the thin parts in the front less noticeable.
The cost? The price of a regular haircut. However, you need to find someone who is an expert in razor haircuts. Don’t let someone do this with tooth-scissors, it will kill your hair! (For some of the haircuts this is fine, but 90% of it needs to be done with a razor only.) If your regular barber doesn’t do this type of haircut (many don’t), try looking for a salon that caters to Asian hair. . Asian barbers (or those who cut Asian hair) have experience thinning hair and are trained in razor cuts.
4.) Dandruff shampoo is great! In 1998, a scientific study showed that for men suffering from hair loss (androgenic alopecia), Nizoral anti-dandruff shampoo was as effective as Rogaine in preventing hair loss. Although I am not sure how or why, the study results say that this product reduces inflammation and therefore prevents hair loss. To be completely honest, when I went to get a thin haircut (see #3), the hairdresser told me I had dandruff, so I started using an anti-dandruff shampoo. I don’t endorse it or anything, but I do use Head and Shoulders, in a nice-smelling version. Although I have never had dandruff in my life, my head seemed to itch a lot while this thinning hair problem was going on, but maybe it was due to constant ponytails or my anxiety about thinning hair. Either way, my hair is slowly getting back to normal and I will probably keep using Head and Shoulders. Maybe Nizoral is more effective, for severe cases, but for me, Head and Shoulders seems to be making my head happy! Because the anti-dandruff shampoo has no vitamins, minerals, or hair-strengthening agents (other than zinc, as far as I know), I’m not using a 2-in-one or both shampoo and conditioner for dandruff (see #5).
The cost? A bottle of Nizoral is less than $20 and Head and Shoulders is the price of “regular” shampoos.
5.) Condition your hair well! Many conditioners promise to prevent hair loss at $50 a bottle. You don’t need an expensive conditioner to get the nutrients your hair needs. My recommendation is to choose a conditioner with B vitamins, vitamin E, vitamin F, biotin and/or PP. A “regular” priced conditioner may have these items, just check and see what they have to offer. Since you may not find everything you want in one conditioner, it’s perfectly fine (and even preferable) to have a few different ones. I have one that is vitamin based, one that boasts biotin, one that is a big seller for keratin, and one that has oils in it. Variety is the spice of life! I also use conditioning oil and not moisturizer (I find it too sticky), but it really is just what you prefer. There are even conditioning sprays, which I have one too and I use interchangeably with the hair oil. My hair conditioning oil contains borage oil, which is an Omega-6 fatty acid. Borage oil is also good for treating skin conditions such as psoriasis, which can often occur on the scalp.
The cost? Biotin or vitamin enriched shampoos are not expensive! Don’t be fooled into buying a $50 bottle of conditioner under the aegis that it prevents hair loss. All vitamin enriched conditioners will prevent hair loss! Conditioning hair oils are also reasonably priced and you can easily find a good one for less than $20. Conditioning hair sprays are also reasonably priced, just go for one that isn’t sticky; you can try most of them in the store.
